Less than ten days before President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, the US State Department declared a matter of contention Monday, July 4, by issuing its conclusions on the death of Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, killed in May during an Israeli raid in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. From the analysis of the fatal bullet, which the Palestinian Authority (PA) had agreed to entrust to him, Washington draws no conclusion.
The object is too damaged, he believes. After hitting the Palestinian and American citizen in the head, the projectile crashed inside the protective helmet she was wearing, according to the Palestinian investigation. The Israeli army indicates for its part that a unique mark, which could have linked it to the rifle of one of its soldiers, could not be identified.
“Tragic Circumstances”
The State Department said it had access to the investigative material provided by both parties. He concludes that “Shots from an Israeli army position were likely responsible for the death of Shireen Abu Akleh”. He specifies that he does not have “found no reason to believe it was intentional, but rather the result of tragic circumstances”.
Washington does not specify what grounds this conclusion, apart from the elements provided by Israel. Either an internal investigation of the army, opaque, led by the own hierarchy of the offending unit – Colonel Meni Liberty, head of the commando brigade. The Israeli government refuses to decide on the cause of the death of Mr.me Abu Akleh, but he excludes in any case that a soldier could have deliberately targeted her. This authorizes the military prosecutor not to open a criminal investigation by the military police, which is customary when civilians are killed by the army in the West Bank. On Monday, the army reaffirmed that the prosecutor had not yet made a decision.
In detail, Washington does not explain the conditions of the examination of the ball – which the Palestinian Authority refused to Israel. According to this press release, it was analyzed in a way “independent” by “third-party observers” whose identity is not specified, under the supervision of the security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian territories, Michael Fenzel. The Israeli army, for its part, claims that its experts analyzed the bullet in an Israeli laboratory, in the presence of American officials.
Shireen Abu Akleh’s family said “incredulous” against these conclusions. She regrets that the FBI, empowered to investigate the murder of American citizens outside the borders, has not opened proceedings. “The truth is that the Israeli army killed Shireen following a policy that considers all Palestinians – civilians, members of the press and others – as legitimate targets. We expected a US investigation to seek to uncover responsible parties and hold them accountable, not skim through barely significant details and then presume the good faith of an occupying power. »
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